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Facebook whistleblower to testify before Congress again: How to watch

Frances Haugen will weigh in on potential changes to a federal law that shields online platforms from liability for user-generated content.

Frances Haugen, a former Facebook product manager turned whistleblower, is scheduled to testify before US lawmakers for a second time on Wednesday.

The hearing, titled «Holding Big Tech Accountable: Targeted reforms to tech’s legal immunity,» will center on potential legislative changes to Section 230, a 1996 federal law that shields online platforms from liability for user-generated content. The House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology is holding the hearing.

Haugen appeared before Congress in October but that hearing focused more on child safety. Haugen leaked a trove of internal research to Congress and the US Securities and Exchange Commission before leaving Facebook in May. The Wall Street Journal published a series of stories, including an article about how the social network’s own research showed Facebook-owned Instagram is «toxic» to teen girls. Facebook, which rebranded itself to Meta, says its research is being mischaracterized.

Haugen has already expressed support for changing Section 230 so social networks like Facebook are held liable for how it ranks content. The whistleblower will also get the chance to weigh in on several bills US lawmakers have proposed to reform Section 230.

When

The hearing will kick off at 7:30 a.m. PT/10:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday.

Where

The hearing will be streamed on the subcommittee’s website and CNET’s YouTube channel.

What to expect

Haugen will be testifying alongside a panel of other experts, including Color of Change President Rashad Robinson, Common Sense CEO James Steyer, and Kara Frederick, a research fellow in technology policy at The Heritage Foundation.

A second panel will include legal experts from groups such as the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative and Free Press Action.

Some of the legislative proposals would make internet companies responsible when they use an algorithm to amplify or recommend content that interferes with civil rights or posts that involve international terrorism. Other ideas include removing Section 230 protections for paid advertising.

In prepared testimony, Haugen tells lawmakers that Facebook is aware of the harms its platform causes but doesn’t do enough to combat these problems. Haugen will once again urge lawmakers to take action.

«Facebook wants you to get caught up in a long, drawn-out debate over the minutiae of different legislative approaches. Please don’t fall into that trap. Time is of the essence,» she says in her prepared testimony.

Technologies

Fit a Massive 130-Inch Screen in Your Pocket With These $299 Xreal AR Glasses

The Air 2s feature USB-C connectivity and a built-in sound system, and you can grab them at a record-low price right now.

Enjoying your favorite movies, shows and games on the go just got a whole lot easier. These Xreal Air 2 AR glasses allow you to fit a massive 130-inch display in your pocket, and right now you can snag yourself a pair at an all-time low price. Amazon now has them on sale for $299, which is a $60 discount. There’s no telling how long this deal will last, so you may want to get your order in soon if you don’t want to miss out on these savings.

These augmented reality glasses have some pretty impressive specs and features considering they weigh in at just 72 grams. They’re come with 0.55-inch micro OLED panels, which allows you to enjoy your content on a massive 130-inch spatial display. They boast 1080p HD resolution, 500 nits of brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth performance, making them a solid option for gaming. Plus, they’re easy to connect to your phone, laptop or game console with a USB-C video input. You can also connect them to devices with an HDMI port, but you’ll need a separate adapter. They’re also equipped with built-in speakers so you can be fully immersed.

Why this deal matters

VR and AR devices are getting more affordable every day, but they still aren’t exactly cheap. Deals on cutting-edge tech like these Xreal Air 2 glasses don’t come around very often, so a chance to grab yourself a pair at a record-low price is a bargain you’ll want to jump on while you can.

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Here’s an Image of the Asteroid Everyone Was Worried About

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured a glimpse of the asteroid that had a chance of impacting Earth three months ago.

It’s not every day that an asteroid causes as much buzz as 2024 YR4. At one point, the asteroid had a 3.1% chance of hitting Earth, creating plenty of headlines about its potential impact. The threat is all but gone, but now we have pictures of the once-worrisome asteroid. 

The imagery was captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and posted by the European Space Agency on Wednesday. The JWST captured the asteroid with two of its cameras, including the Near-Infrared Camera and the Mid-Infrared Instrument. The former measures reflected light, while the latter shows thermal energy. 

The pictures demonstrate a couple of fun facts about the asteroid. It is the smallest object ever targeted by JWST’s instruments to date, and it’s one of the smallest objects ever directly measured. Estimates initially put the asteroid at around 40 to 90 meters. The actual size turned out to be 60 meters or around 180 feet.

«These measurements indicate that this asteroid does not share properties observed in larger asteroids,» the ESA said in its blog post. «This is likely a combination of its fast spin and lack of fine-grained sand on its surface. Further research is needed, however, this is considered consistent with a surface dominated by rocks that are roughly fist-sized or larger.»

Per NASA, the asteroid will only be visible from Earth for a little longer. The asteroid’s orbit is currently taking it away from Earth, and the agency estimates that it’ll disappear from even the strongest instruments by late April or early May. It won’t be visible again until 2028 when its orbit brings it back toward Earth.

The moon, on the other hand…

The 2024 YR4 asteroid caused quite a stir when astronomers first reported it via the Minor Planet Center in December 2024. Based on the data collected on its trajectory at that point, the asteroid had a 1.3% chance of hitting Earth. 

The percentage fluctuated over the next few months, reaching as high as 3.1%. After further research, the odds dropped dramatically to 0.28%. Per NASA’s Sentry tool — which monitors asteroids that may impact Earth — the threat now sits at 0.00078%.

The moon may not be so lucky. Per NASA, the odds of the asteroid impacting the moon are somewhere around 3.8%, which is even higher odds than the asteroid ever had of impacting Earth. Scientists are gathering data before the asteroid disappears, but it’s likely we won’t know more until the asteroid comes back into view in 2028.

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Technologies

We Played Nintendo Switch 2: Mario, Donkey Kong, Mouse, Camera and a Lot More

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